CARTAGE! March 22, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Tuesday March 22, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Cartage

Colden paid Silas Wood six pounds and eight shillings for carting and roadwork on this day, 250 years ago.

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This article is one in a series of a daily accountings of Colden Store transactions. Be sure you read the first installment for an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

In a prior article I speculated on the cartage services Colden would have needed to keep his store stocked with rum, molasses, fabrics and to transport the store's purchases of wheat (milled by Colden to flour) and hogs to New York City. "Colden must have maintained almost a daily cartage from his store to the docks at Newburgh/New Windsor to maintain this trade."

Prior DayBook entries have not revealed these cartage services, but this entry sheds light on separate cartage hired by Colden to maintain businesses not mentioned otherwise in the DayBook. For example, sales of board and brick are not recorded in the DayBook, but Silas Wood carted these items "from River." The river in question was undoubtedly the Hudson River at the ports of Newburgh or New Windsor. Perhaps the board and brick were for his own use, but he could well have been a middle-man supplying others.

Colden also appears to have acquired a Canoe for the Jacksons. There is no record of a 'Jackson' visiting the store, but the Jackson family was living near Neelytown close to the Wallkill River by the time of the Revolution.

South of the Colden homes was a large swampy area where the Tin Brook originated. It is shown on the map of the Colden property as a shaded area. It is now part of Stewart State Forest south of I-84. Colden paid Wood for his work on a road through this area. It is recorded in the DayBook as a payment to Silas Wood for "working at my request on the road in the Long Swamp."

Colden estate showing possible location of "Long Swamp." Click to enlarge. Image courtesy of Robin Assenza.

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